“Rejoice the Lord is King: your Lord and King adore!” These words from the classic hymn written by Charles Wesley in 1744 ring through my head whenever I ponder the Feast of Christ the King.
As the hymn suggests, the feast is a celebration. Why then, when we are supposedly rejoicing in Christ our King whose birth we celebrate in a few short weeks, are we directed to the story of his crucifixion in our Sunday readings? Why are we forced to hear the questioning, challenging words of Pilate, “Are you the King of the Jews?” (Jn 18:33)? Is not recalling those painful moments a contradiction to the Nativity’s story of hope? Or is this necessary in our journey?
Kings at the time of Jesus’ birth and into his earthly ministry were threatened by the idea of another king in their midst. Kings ruled over other people and were prepared to fight to the death to maintain that power. Through material wealth and the benefit of status, they used, abused, and controlled others. Kings were respected, though presumably that respect was often rooted in fear.
Jesus’ kingship is quite the opposite. Christ the King came not to rule over us but to rule for us. He led with humility and service, not power and corruption. We are called to the same.
When the rich man asked how to follow him, Jesus gently suggested that the man follow the Ten Commandments as well as giving his money to the poor (Mk 1:17-30). The concept of a king suggesting that a loyal subject shed material wealth rather than continue to amass it was more than symbolic of what it requires to correctly prioritize our lives.
Jesus is our humble King. His first throne was a feeding trough in a dirty stable; his most noteworthy throne was an instrument of torture: a cross which he himself carried. His crown was not one of precious metals; rather, it was fashioned of sharp thorns which needled his flesh until beads of blood adorned this headdress in place of gemstones. The people of his time mocked his sovereignty because they did not understand its significance.
Thus we close our liturgical year, celebrating the purpose of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. His is a kingdom beyond material wealth, beyond the mundane of earthly power, and beyond the ego trips of workplaces, political arenas, and even families. He surrendered himself to death for the eternal kingdom, not to boast of power, but to defeat the ultimate threat of death itself. We must embrace this end before we can begin the next liturgical cycle, in anticipation of the coming – and the return – of the Child-King.
He prioritized wealth of the soul over the wealth of prestige and material goods. We are not called to abolish our ideas, our personal resources, and our talents; we are merely called to give credit to the One who bestowed these upon us in the first place, to share our gifts, and to use them for good. We must acknowledge the True King, rather than trying to become kings ourselves.
Furthermore, Christ’s leadership involves sacrifice and support. In recognizing the weight of the cross he carried for us, we trust in him to help us carry our own crosses. As the writer Olivia Spears from the women’s ministry “Blessed is She” asks in a 2016, “What is weighing heavily on your heart today? What are you struggling through? What are you pushing through? What are you smiling through? Is it physical pain? Mental anguish? Emotional turmoil? Spiritual aridity? Let Christ the King be your Saviour today.”
As with any royal subjects, we must trust our King, and we need not fear him. He came to save us from sin and from pain. Instead of trying to go it alone or giving ourselves credit when we succeed, we must look to the One who created us in his likeness and image.
Our King is not self-serving but is king of “the other.” Instead of blaming people in positions of power for misrepresenting this Christian message, let us assume the responsibility of embodying it ourselves in word and in service.
Our King is the king of the eternal kingdom – the only king worthy of the annual refrain from Wesley: “Lift up your heart, lift up your voice! Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!”
